Michael Mann

Did you know?!

1. A first

   Mann was the first filmmaker to bring Thomas Harris's serial killer Hannibal Lecter to the screen, directing Manhunter, his 1986 adaptation of the novel Red Dragon, with Brian Cox playing Lecter.

2. Getting ready for a role

   Mann's first feature as director was the 1981 film Thief, and he hired actual former professional burglars so the technical scenes would look genuine.

3. Early training

   In the mid-1960s Mann moved to London for cinema graduate school, and in 1967 he received a graduate degree from the London Film School. He stayed in the United Kingdom seven years, attending film school and then making commercials with Alan Parker, Ridley Scott and Adrian Lyne.

4. First role

   Hawaii Five-O veteran Robert Lewin gave Mann a chance and taught him about television writing and story structure, which led to Mann writing four Starsky and Hutch episodes between 1975 and 1977.

5. Behind the award

   Mann made The Jericho Mile for ABC, though audiences in Europe saw it in theaters. Filming took place at Folsom State Penitentiary, and the movie later received an Emmy for its writing and a Directors Guild of America directing award.

6. Getting ready for a role

   Mann cast Tom Cruise against type as a hitman in the 2004 action thriller Collateral, shooting all the exterior scenes digitally for more depth and detail in the night scenes.